Flashbacks
by 145x
Summary: This is a story based purely on 'what ifs' so please don't tell me I've got all my facts wrong because the dates are wrong etc:) It's all about what Voldemort and Lily are remembering in the last moments of her life. It's based in the Marauders era, and tells the story of Lily, Snape and Voldemort Hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

"Sev," Lily whispered. "Platform nine and THREE QUARTERS?" She wrinkled her nose at him, her eyes casting shadows of doubt. "Are you sure about this? I mean – THREE QUARTERS?"

Severus grinned at her, his inky black hair flopping forwards over his left eye. "Yeah, I'm sure." He took her porcelain fingers in his, an innocent gesture of caring. "You can close your eyes if you want?"

She nodded, biting her lower lip. "Hang on a minute," she said, slipping her fingers out of his hand.

She ran over to her mother, winding her arms around her. "I love you mama," she whispered. "I'm gonna miss you."

Tears welled up in Mrs Evans' eyes. "I'm gonna miss you too honey," she said, squeezing her tight. "But you're gonna have a wonderful time." She kissed the top of Lily's forehead, her light-brown-gingery hair tumbling in front of her face. She put her down, stroking her head as she did.

Severus looked impatient, glancing up at the ticking clock above their heads. "We need to go," he said.

Lily nodded, letting go of her mother's hand. "I love you mama," she said again. "And papa." She paused for a moment. "And... tell Tuney I.. miss her." She sighed, and then closed her eyes, reaching for Sev's hand again. "Let's go," she whispered.

She could feel him tugging, pulling her ahead. And she was walking. It... it didn't feel any different to normal. She must not have hit the barrier yet. She kept on walking.

"Open your eyes, Lil," Sev whispered. "We're already here."

Where had all the people come from? It had been quiet on the other side – peaceful, with just a few people walking about. Now – here, there was... So many voices. So many people in clothes of all sorts – normal clothes, wizarding robes, attempts at 'muggle' clothing... It was mad. And there were so many people talking, so many children laughing. Shy, first years, prefects, more and more people.

But it was the train that made the biggest impact. The big, red, glossy train; burgundy body, golden joins.. A flash of colour snaked down the sides – green entwined with silver and blue, yellow, gold and blood red. There must have been a hundred carriages, all joined on together, with black, velvety steps pushed out of the sides by bellows of steam.

"Come on Lily!" Severus returned, grabbing her hand and pulling her onto the train. She hadn't even noticed his leaving. "Mam's sorting out the trolleys."

She stumbled up the steps, her feet suddenly seeming so heavy. This was happening. It really was. She was going to Hogwarts – with Sev.

The compartments seemed even bigger from the inside than they ever had before. There were old, luxurious seats – mottled sofas, that stretched across the width, and sliding doors with shiny glass snuck into wooden squares. The smell of some sort of pastry wafted in through the cracks, and a pumpkin scent.. Lily couldn't quite place the others.

"It's amazing," Sev breathed. "So much better than I ever imagined!" His face was pressed up against the window, the shaded glass that you couldn't see from outside. His breath frosted it up, and he scrawled 'S+L' into the blur. Then he rubbed it out with the palm of his hand, his wrist hovering there for a second.

He turned around, leaning his back against the window. "This is really happening, Lil," he whispered. "We're going!"

The door slid open, and Lily jumped around, sliding further down the seat – closer to Sev.

"Hey Sev!" The boy exclaimed, stepping forward to pat him on the back in a friendly gesture. "How are you keeping?"

The boy's face was pale and thin, pinched features curving handsomely into a shockingly dark scalp of brown – almost as dark as Sev's. But unlike Sev's, his was cropped short – so short that you could easily see his speckled moonlight skin underneath. His eyes were dark too, a blackish brown, clear and piercing. His jaw line twisted down into a patch of fading purple bruises which didn't seem to bother him. His figure was slim and lean, and he leant against the side of the doorway casually.

Sev was talking back excitedly, and the other boy was laughing and holding his hand to Sev, palm facing him. "Hey, hold up bud," he grinned. "You forgot to introduce us!" He waved the hand around in the space between him and Lily. "Bit rude isn't it?" He said, winking.

Lily blushed. "Hey, I.." She began, but Sev interrupted her.

"This is Lil.. Lily Evans, and this.." he said, motioning to the two of thme respectively, "is Tom Riddle."

Tom nodded his head and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Hey." He reached out a hand. "Nice to meet you Lily."

She nodded and reached out a hand to acknowledge his, her eyes straying towards the bruises on his chest again. He seemed to notice, and casually brushed his fingers across the neck of his shirt, closing it ever so slightly. Then their hands met – white on white – and Lily felt the run of his cold blood, his smooth, marble hands.

"Nice to meet you Tom," she whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

Everything seemed black.

"This way," Sev whispered in Lily's ear. Suddenly lights appeared, shining upon a sea of dark silver, lighting up the pathway. There were carriages that pulled themselves, and a huddle of gormless youngsters, crowded around a man.

"First years!" He called.

Sev pulled her along towards the voice. He was short and stocky, with dark blond hair that seemed even darker in the dim light.

"This way first years," he repeated.

Lily shivered, and Sev pulled her close to him. A sheath of heat seemed to radiate from his skin, moulding itself to the curves of his limbs, dancing out to embrace her. The first years were disappearing slowly – about three to five at a time, sliding into little wooden boats, which carried themselves across the shimmering lights.

"Don't fall in," the man warned. "There's creatures down there that don't want to be disturbed."

Severus' face lit up at this, and he began to gabble on about some type of mythical creature that he'd heard about and how it might live in this lake. He kept talking until it was just them left... Them, and the man.

"Are you two ready?" he growled.

Lily jumped back, and stared at him wide eyed, nodding. Sev stared too, but with a look of recognition, not fear or surprise.

"You're Valens Hicksbury!" he exclaimed.

The man nodded slowly. "That's Professor Hicksbury to you."  
"You're not a professor though, you're gamekeeper! Right?" Sev said, a bit too enthusiastically.

"Right, come on," Hicksbury replied. "or you'll be late for your sorting. We wouldn't want to miss that would we?" He turned and winked at Lily.

"Don't care," Sev mumbled. "I'm gonna be a Slytherin no matter what, so it's fine. It's her –" he pointed at Lily, "- who needs to see. I'm hoping she'll be a Slytherin too though." He smiled at her fondly.

Lily just shrugged. She didn't know, and frankly, right now, she didn't care. She was cold and hungry, and Sev was just keeping them longer.

"Can we go now Professor?" She asked.

He nodded, and growled again. "It's just Hicksbury – the little know-all's right – I'm just gamekeeper."

Sev smirked into the darkness, as Hicksbury led them towards the last remaining boat. It was lighter than Lily'd thought – she could now clearly see the castle ahead – it's crumbling walls, and climbing ivies. It was beautiful. And it was hers.


	3. Chapter 3

Hicksbury led the two of them in through the doors, where the crowd of first years was stood, chatting excitedly. Lily stood closer to Sev, leaning her slight body against his. She could hear snatches of conversation as they stood, wondering how they would be decided what house they were best suited to.

"I hope I'm a Gryffindor," boasted a loud mouthed boy with untidy black hair and an ego evidently larger than his small, yet somehow stocky body. "Would be awful to be a Slytherin," he said, opening his mouth and pointing a finger down between his lips.

The boy beside him laughed, hanging on to his every word. His hair was a sandy colour, almost blonde, but not quite, and his nose was too long for his face. Unlike the messy-hair-boy, he seemed shy, and his eyes darted around the hall.

To the other side of her, Lily could hear a bunch of girls, giggling nervously. "Bet I'm a Hufflepuff," a pretty brunette told her friends. "I mean, they are the best."

Lily shivered and leaned her head in against Sev's shoulder, resting an ear against his collar bone. "I hope we're together Sev," she whispered.

He smiled at her fondly, playing with a tangle of her hair. "Me too," he replied.

A wave of hush washed itself over the hall as a bolt of lightning lit up the stormy sky. Everyone was staring at... well something. What it was, Lily could not quite make it out.

An animated whisper of 'the hat!' flowed through the group of first years, and Lily bent forwards to peer curiously at the subject of such enthusiasm.

In the centre of what seemed to be a stage, in front of the tables of prim yet smiling teachers, sat an old, fraying hat. When pure silence had at last fallen, the brim of the hat opened wide and began to sing a song.

_'Some years in the past – yes a _long _time ago,_

_There were four noble and wise,_

_Who founded a school of magical blood,_

_Away from prying eyes._

_These founders four each had their own traits,_

_And valued their own beyond others._

_So they quartered their school into sets of their choice,_

_And they taught them to live life as brothers. _

_Brave Gryffindor's students were prized for their courage,_

_Known for hot-tempers; loyal and daring._

_Kind Hufflepuff took anyone with a heart,_

_Those scorned by the others were treated with caring._

_Ravenclaw's knowledge she valued with logic,_

_And those with quick thinking were praised,_

_Sly Slytherin found room for those with ambition,_

_Hard-working and cunning – that's where they were raised._

_'But how?' asked the wise four,_

_'Will we choose where they go?'_

_'Should we test them and try them – _

_Their wit's sure to show!'_

_Said Ravenclaw with an air of her pride,_

_But Slytherin soon disagreed,_

_'Perhaps we should set them the darkest of tasks_

_And I'll take only those who succeed?'_

_Dear Hufflepuff was not keen on this answer,_

_But she didn't have an idea._

_'Twas Gryffindor, pulled me right off his head,_

_To the others said 'I've got it right here!'_

_So from that day onwards each wizard and witch_

_Who has ever passed through this school,_

_Has tried me – had me on their head,_

_I give the final rule._

_I've never yet got one wrong,_

_So worry not at all!_

_I'll sort you how it should be done,_

_Just wait for me to call!_

_Good students of our founders' school_

_Your house will be your kin,_

_I've said enough – time for the start,_

_Let the sorting now begin!'_

At this, the hat's lips closed, and it froze, resembling a normal wizard's hat, not unlike the ones that everyone in the room was wearing. A tall man with a stern look cast upon his faced stepped forward, unscrolling a roll of parchment. Looking towards the shivering youngsters, his lips formed a single name.

"Adams, Nora."

A girl, no taller than Lily stepped forwards, black curls framing a tanned face. Her eyes darted around, and she stumbled towards the stool. She picked the hat up nervously, and sat down, holding it in her shaking hands. Glancing around nervously, she raised the hat and placed it on her head so that the brim covered her eyes.

After a few seconds, the hat came to life again, parting dry, black lips.

"Ravenclaw!" it shouted, and Nora pulled it off her head with relief, eagerly skipping down the steps to join the table of blue, which had erupted with cheers and clapping.

"Black, Sirius" was sorted into Gryffindor with a few gasps of shock, and several puzzled looks from the Slytherin table – including one from Tom. The sorting carried on, students joining the different tables with happy grins, being greeted by prefects and people barely older than themselves.

Then, "Evans, Lily". Lily froze, trying to will herself to step forwards. Sev squeezed her hand and murmured a good luck into her ear, and she found herself moving awkwardly towards the worn stool. The last thing she saw before the inky black of the inside of the hat was hundreds of pairs of eyes, all staring up at her curiously.

"Interesting," a voice muttered in her ear. She jumped. "Yes, yes, I'm talking," said the voice again. "But only you can hear me."

Her breathing quickened – the _hat_ was talking to her. Just her.

"Plenty of Hufflepuff in you, I see," it continued. "But you're not stupid either. You'd do well in Ravenclaw, and not badly in Slytherin." It paused for a moment, musing to itself. "You've got the courage of a Gryffindor, and you're loyal too. So, I think... Most probably.. No, most definitely... Yes, I've got it...

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily breathed a sigh of composure, and pushed the hat off her head. Placing it back on the stool, she turned to look around. The table in red and gold were screaming, cheering so loud and hard for her. Down the other end, many people were clapping, though several were not. She could see Tom shrugging, and clapping slowly – almost sarcastically, for her.

Over her shoulder, Sev gave her a sad smile, almost as if telling her that everything was over. The two of them were over.

For always.


End file.
